The Art of Sharing at the Japanese Table

At Saké, much of the menu is designed for the middle of the table. Sushi and sashimi can be divided piece by piece, robata skewers are served in small numbers, and larger plates give everyone something to take from.

This way of eating comes with a few conventions that make sharing around the table straightforward.

The torizara

The torizara is the small individual plate set at each seat. It gives every guest a place to transfer food from the communal dish before eating it.

Guests can take a little at a time and return to the shared dish as the meal continues. Everyone eats at their own pace while the larger plate remains available to the table.

The chopsticks that stay behind

When serving chopsticks are provided, they remain with the shared dish. Each person uses them to transfer food to their torizara, keeping personal chopsticks separate.

One convention is particularly important: food should never be passed directly from one pair of chopsticks to another. The gesture resembles a Japanese funeral rite in which cremated bones are passed between mourners.

If food needs to move between people, it is placed on a plate first.

Pouring for each other

Japanese drinking etiquette follows a similar principle. In more formal settings, it is customary to pour for someone else and allow them to return the gesture.

The convention is more relaxed among friends, but the idea remains the same: paying attention to the people around the table, not only to your own glass. glass.

The shared table at Saké

Saké’s menu allows the table to order in rounds and divide each dish as it is served. The torizara gives everyone their own portion while keeping the larger dish shared.

The result is a meal shaped collectively by the table, from how much is ordered to who takes what and when the next dish is added.

Reserve your table at Saké via link above, and order for everyone to share.

Saké Restaurant & Bar practises the responsible service of alcohol. Drink responsibly.